DELVIS – Deaf Law Visualisation and Information System is a 30-month Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership in school education (KA220-SCH) that works to promote the full and equal participation of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) young people aged 13–25 in democratic life. It does this by improving access to civic education and by strengthening public information and administrative autonomy through accessible, practical and learner-centred resources. Coordinated by Open Mind Software GmbH, a Deaf-led software company based in Germany, DELVIS brings together six partner organisations from five countries, with RITE Research Institute for Technological Evolution leading the project’s research and evidence-building phase from Cyprus.
The challenge
Across the EU, DHH young people face persistent barriers when accessing civic information, participating in democratic life and navigating administrative systems. The scale of the community affected is significant: according to the European Union of the Deaf, around one million deaf people use a national sign language across the Member States of the European Union. Yet sign language remains legally under-recognised — only three European countries (Austria, Finland and Portugal) have recognised a sign language at constitutional level, according to the Council of Europe / University of Hamburg report Sign Languages of Europe – Legal Status and Human Rights.
Against this backdrop, civic content — covering rights and duties, institutions, voting, public services and e-administration — is frequently unavailable in accessible visual formats, sign-language-friendly pathways or plain and easy language. As a result, many DHH learners are left without the practical knowledge and confidence needed to exercise their rights, use public services independently and take part in the democratic processes that shape their lives. DELVIS responds to this gap with accessible, learner-centred civic education resources co-created with and for the Deaf community.
Objectives
DELVIS pursues four main objectives:
To improve DHH learners’ understanding of civic institutions, voting, democratic processes, rights and duties, public services and administrative procedures.
To strengthen the capacity of schools, teachers and NGOs to deliver inclusive civic education.
To support peer learning and youth participation by training DHH peer mentors.
To develop a sustainable digital access ecosystem — a website/platform and interactive database — using AI-assisted, human-validated accessible content.
The project addresses the Erasmus+ horizontal priority of inclusion and diversity; the school education priority of developing basic skills and key competences, tackling learning disadvantage and preventing early school leaving; and the horizontal priority of common values, civic engagement, preparedness and participation.
Target groups
Primary: DHH learners aged 13–25 in upper secondary, special secondary and school-to-work transition settings, together with the teachers who support them.
Secondary: Deaf communities, schools and educators.
Tertiary: stakeholders and policy makers.
Main activities and expected results
DELVIS is organised into six work packages that move from evidence-building through to accessible learning resources, peer mentoring, a digital platform, and dissemination and sustainability:
WP1 – Project management: overall coordination, quality assurance and risk management.
WP2 – ROOTS (led by RITE): international research, resource mapping, community consultation and the development of accessible thematic handbooks.
WP3 – Ready, Set, Learn!: an accessible self-learning toolkit and teacher support materials, plus a learning, teaching and training activity (LTTA).
WP4 – CHACK: peer mentoring and the “DELVIS Signs” webinar series.
WP5 – AccessPoint (RITE co-leads, leading the interactive database): a multilingual website, interactive database, accessible platform and AI-assisted accessible learning videos.
WP6 – Bridge the resources: dissemination, sustainability and accessibility activities, including a final conference in Brussels and multiplier events across partner countries.
The project’s expected results and outputs include:
An international mapping/research report and a community perspectives report;
5 accessible thematic handbooks in 6 languages;
an accessible self-learning toolkit and teacher support materials;
a peer mentor training pathway and webinar materials;
a multilingual website/platform with an interactive database and AI-assisted accessible videos;
dissemination and sustainability outputs, including a sustainability book, multiplier events and a final international conference in Brussels.
The consortium
DELVIS brings together six partner organisations from five countries:
Open Mind Software GmbH (Germany) – coordinator; a Deaf-led software company. (Projectheal)
manimundo GmbH (Germany) – sign language education provider. (Startup-atlas)
European Network of Deaf Teacher ETS – ENDeT (Italy).
European Union of the Deaf Youth – EUDY (Belgium).
Liceul Tehnologic Special “Vasile Pavelcu” – LTSVP (Romania) – special school for Deaf/HoH learners.
RITE Research Institute for Technological Evolution (Cyprus).
RITE’s associated partners in Cyprus are the Pancyprian Organisation of the Deaf (PA.O.K.), the Cyprus School for the Deaf, and Citizens in Power (CIP).
RITE’s role
RITE plays a central role in DELVIS. It leads WP2 (ROOTS), the project’s evidence-building phase, which encompasses international research, resource mapping, community consultation in Cyprus and the development of the accessible thematic handbooks. RITE also co-leads WP5 (AccessPoint), where it leads the interactive database of best practices.
Beyond these leadership roles, RITE contributes to all work packages, delivers the Greek-language versions of the project’s outputs, and ensures coherence between the research evidence base and the educational and digital outputs. In Cyprus, RITE runs project activities including interviews, peer mentor training, one “DELVIS Signs” webinar and one multiplier event, and it mobilises its Cypriot associated partners — the Pancyprian Organisation of the Deaf (PA.O.K.), the Cyprus School for the Deaf and Citizens in Power (CIP).
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the National Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. (Erasmusplus)
